What to put inside sump? And how to arrange filter media and equipment?

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What to put inside sump? And how to arrange filter media and equipment?

Hello fellow hobbyists!

I appreciate any input, advice, comments, critiques, etc. on this topic. I really need some help on this.

What filter and equipment do I put inside my sump? And inside which chamber?

My objective is to reduce nitrates. Every other measurement (ammonia, nitrite, phosphate, etc. is good). BUT, my nitrates are through the room at 80ppm. Yes, I know water change will help. However, what about my sump's arrangement and filter media and equipment used?

here is a description of my sump and what filter media and equipment I currently have inside.

Sump description:
5 chamber sump. Each chamber is about 18'' x 8''.

Two drainage pipes from overflow and both drain about the same amount of water each.

One pipe drains to the 1st chamber on the far left. The second pipe drains to the 5th chamber on the far right.

Sump Filter media:
4L of Seachem matrix (I don't have mesh bags for them. I just threw them into the sump chambers without mesh bags. The matrix simply sinks to near the bottom of the sump chambers where there are filter wool above filter grids). I just put in the matrix about 2 weeks ago. Maybe, the nitrifying bacteria isn't cultured enough yet.
8 bags of Seachem purigen - I heard this type of media does not remove nitrate. It removes organics and other things that create nitrate.
2 large slabs Filter wool that fits the 1st chamber and 5th chamber perfectly
2 nylon filter socks
6 bags of Bio-Chem Zorb
2 bags of activated carbon (4'' x 6'')
750ml I think... of vertex bio pellets in the nextreef reactor

What filter and equipment do I put inside my sump aside from what I already have? And inside which chamber? So, how do I arrange all these filter media and equipment so I achieve the best possible water returning to my tank?

Do I wait a little longer for bacteria to get cultured in the seachem matrix? Or, get more seachem matrix? Or get chaeto? Or, create a refugium to grow chaeto?

I can't say anything in terms of sump materials, however, unless your an experienced marine keeper I think you've stocked your tank a little too fast (hence the nitrates) especially with a bubble tip in there... The tanks levels will lower as it matures but for now it's some regular WCs that will help lower them.. Goodluck!

If you have the room and a light then just add Chaeto to whichever chamber you can spare. Otherwise you could look into some of the nitrate absorbing media.
I'm personally not 100% convinced Matrix works as well as they state. I think it could theoretically work like they claim, but that assumes perfect condition which a fish tank never will be. In the tanks it is just a rather efficient normal bio-media.

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” - Terry Pratchett